Among many things that make the taut thriller Argo remarkable is this one: It depicts a 1980 rescue of American hostages from Iran yet begins by pointing out that the United States was partly responsible for the situation.

Affleck easily orchestrates this complex film with 120 speaking parts as it moves from inside-the-Beltway espionage thriller to inside Hollywood dark comedy to gripping international hostage drama, all without missing a step.

Argo is a triumph. It has tension, sincerity, mystery, artistic responsibility, entertainment value, technical expertise, a narrative arc and a thrilling respect for the tradition of how to tell a story with minimum frills and maximum impact. It's a great footnote to history, one of the best films of 2012 and a sure-fire contender on Oscar night.

A blue-chip Oscar contender that's also a rousing popcorn movie, Ben Affleck's Argo offers plenty of nail-biting thrills as well as funnier scenes than you'd ever imagine possible in the grim context of the Iran hostage crisis.

Argo's white-knuckle nail-biter of a climax takes liberties with how events played out in real life. But while Affleck and screenwriter Chris Terrio have opted to go Hollywood, it's high-class Hollywood, not the low-rent and exploitative route that the make-believe movie at the heart of this tale would have taken.

The main source of astonishment is the precision exhibited everywhere, from the slyly vintage look of Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography to the gradual, cinching tension in Chris Terrio's careful screenplay.

Only the finale threatens to undo all that hard work. Though well-done, the last act leans less on the facts of the case than on Hollywood contrivances, heightening the tension with embellishments that feel at odds with the methodical, deliberate film leading up to them.

A "gritty" historical drama overwhelmed by its love of Hollywood as an inventor of imaginary narratives with real consequences, a great generator of American bedtime stories whose magic works on suburban kids and foreign enemies alike.

This captivating, expertly machined political thriller jumps through every hoop the naysayer can set up: It's serious and substantive, an ingeniously written and executed drama fashioned from a fascinating, little-known chapter of recent history.

Argo is a triumph. It has tension, sincerity, mystery, artistic responsibility, entertainment value, technical expertise, a narrative arc andArgo is a triumph. It has tension, sincerity, mystery, artistic responsibility, entertainment value, technical expertise, a narrative arc and a thrilling respect for the tradition of how to tell a story with minimum frills and maximum impact. It's a great footnote to history, one of the best films of 2012 and a sure-fire contender on Oscar night.…Full Review »

A one-sided self-satisfying nationalist and political propaganda film with no real suspense and substance. With highly-implausible inventionsA one-sided self-satisfying nationalist and political propaganda film with no real suspense and substance. With highly-implausible inventions to reality that make it look stupid to the audience with some common sense and minimum level knowledge of the situation. The silly car chase on the airport runway or the lack of explanation for why the airliner is not turned back to the airport by the control tower, or the American women wandering provocatively (taking photos) among the Muslim Persians with no head-covering (the stupidest thing of all), etc.…Full Review »

Maybe my expectations were too high, but Argo fell a little flat for me. Definitely an old-school spy caper with "docudrama" feel given theMaybe my expectations were too high, but Argo fell a little flat for me. Definitely an old-school spy caper with "docudrama" feel given the real story. However several of the suspense/thriller moments felt contrived (though some were well done) including the ending act. Ben Affleck was good, but probably miscast himself--which is a real career hazard when Actor turns Director. Really liked John Goodman and Alan Arkin as the Hollywood guys--overall, a pretty good film but as far as great (recent) spy capers to me: Tinker Tailor Solder Spy and the Bourne movies hold the top honors…Full Review »